The more Bai Bingxue learned about her mother and Su Xue, the more she understood how difficult her mother's life had been.
The painful thoughts in Bai Bingxue's heart began to surge: "The scenes planted in her mind when she was young were like thousands of ants crawling over her. She went from being the beloved daughter of a marquis to the bastard everyone talked about."
"In a fit of rage, she accidentally killed someone. She and her mother were locked in a lightless dungeon, then Gao Mingmo poisoned their food. The deadly poison tormented her with pain, and her young heart came to hate the 'wild man' everyone spoke of."
When sorrow reached rock bottom, it would rebound. In life's painful experiences, there was always a ray of dawn shining down to save you.
Bai Bingxue began recalling the good times: "After the upheaval in the family, she was taken to Nine Dragon Valley for treatment. Big Brother Changqing made delicious food and shared it with her, caught fish and rabbits to make her laugh, and picked a large bundle of wildflowers to make into a wreath for her head."
"When the two of them made mistakes and were punished by their master, he took the punishment for her and helped her tell silly stories. Big Brother Changqing, I miss you. Once things here are settled, I'll go find you."
While Bai Bingxue sat there in a daze, Hong Yun had already fallen asleep with her head on the stone table. Beneath the same moonlight and under the same pavilion, two young women nevertheless led utterly different lives.
After Bai Bingxue came to her senses, she woke Hong Yun, and they each returned to their rooms. Bai Bingxue shut the windows and doors, then took out the silk cloth and spread it across the table beneath the candlelight. She began making plans.
"Gao Taiming, damn it, he's already dead. Cross him off!"
"Gao Mingqing, I want to question you face-to-face!"
"Gao Mingmo, wait for me to come and kill you for revenge!"
"Liu Qian'e, you poisonous woman. Wait for me to kill you for revenge!"
"Alu, Eldest Uncle can be crossed off."
"Age, Second Uncle can be crossed off."
"Abu, Mother loved Fourth Uncle most. I shouldn't have suspected him. Cross him off."
"Ziqi, Grandfather, you were a hero in Mother's heart. Cross you off."
"Su Xue, are you really my biological father? Can I still kill you for revenge?"
Bai Bingxue bit her finger and used the blood to cross out five names on the list. She thought to herself, My martial arts are weak, and I'm alone and powerless. When will I be able to avenge Mother?
"Master, you won't let me seek revenge. You only taught me medicine and the Wood Spirit Art cultivation method. Only Big Brother Changqing taught me a few grappling techniques. But what am I supposed to do now? Do you expect me to poison all the hundreds of people in the Shànchǎn Marquis's residence?"
Early the next morning, Bai Bingxue went to find her younger cousin Hong Yun and asked her to teach her Dian Cang Swordplay and the White Fox Thirty-Seven Steps movement technique.
Hong Yun's master was Ying Hu, the number-one expert of Ziqi Country. He had studied under Ma Long Peak of the Dian Cang Sect.
Over the following days, as soon as dawn broke, Hong Yun taught Bai Bingxue Dian Cang Swordplay and the White Fox Thirty-Seven Steps movement technique in the courtyard. After breakfast, she followed her younger cousin Hong Lian to examine her cousin's condition. After noon, she invited her younger cousin Hong Yun to stroll through Milu City.
They wandered through the streets and alleys of Milu City and discovered that the common people were not well-off either. Many were sick but could not afford medicine. After asking around, they learned that when people felt unwell, they would go to sleep. If they still were not better after waking, they would drink two bowls of hot water. If the hot water did not help, they would call a witch doctor.
Some patients therefore missed timely treatment, causing their illnesses to worsen. In the end, they could only pray to the gods.
Bai Bingxue had studied medicine for years. Seeing this, she could only shake her head and sigh.
Hong Yun cared about the common people and suggested, "Cousin, I heard that medicine shops and clinics are everywhere in Bianjing, the capital of Gongjiao Country, and that ordinary people can afford to see a doctor. There are too few medicine shops in Milu City. What a pity I don't know medicine. Otherwise, we could open one too."
Bai Bingxue replied, "Cousin, I haven't been to Bianjing in Gongjiao Country either, but I know about opening a medicine shop and clinic. Although medicinal herbs aren't expensive, there are many varieties, and the methods of preparing them with water and fire are complicated.
"With more than a hundred patients a day, the consumption reaches enormous amounts, and thousands of taels of silver flow in and out. If the business is poorly managed and expenses exceed income, it will close within a month at the shortest, or three months at the longest.
"Even my master and I, living in seclusion in Nine Dragon Valley, only see ten patients a day. That's because our supply of medicinal herbs is inadequate."
Hong Yun pondered for a while before saying, "I never imagined that even a medicine shop that saves lives depends on business calculations."
Bai Bingxue smiled and said, "People say that doctors hang out their gourd to help the world, but they can't conjure miraculous medicines out of thin air either. They merely carry forward the proven formulas and medical techniques passed down by their predecessors. The ones who save people aren't doctors, but the natural spiritual power of medicinal herbs and the patients themselves."
Hong Yun was unwilling to give up. "Cousin, without a physician, medicinal herbs wouldn't save anyone by themselves either. Let's open a medicine shop in Milu City together. I'll ask Father for silver and medicinal herbs, and you can sit in the clinic and see patients?"
Bai Bingxue was surprised after hearing this. She had not expected Hong Yun to have a heart for helping the world. She then said, "All right. Once Grandfather and Cousin are feeling better, we'll see. I'll think it over these next few days."
The next day, after finishing her sword practice, Bai Bingxue went to examine her grandfather. He had finished the decoction from the previous days and looked much more energetic. She took his pulse again and prescribed five doses of herbs. The prescription was as follows: "Deficiency-wasting illness, liver constraint and spleen deficiency pattern
Prepared aconite, three qian and three fen (decoct first); raw astragalus, one liang and six qian and three fen; Pseudostellaria root, three qian and three fen; angelica root, six qian and six fen; Sichuan lovage, six qian and six fen; cassia twig, five qian; white peony root, five qian; fried Massa Medicata Fermentata, five qian; atractylodes, six qian and six fen; poria, one liang; prepared rehmannia root, six qian and six fen; salt-prepared Alisma, three qian and three fen; acorus section, three qian and three fen; fried coix seed, six qian and six fen; perilla leaf, three qian and three fen; bupleurum, three qian and three fen; platycodon, three qian; honey-fried licorice, one qian and six fen; five slices of fresh ginger; five jujubes."
After writing the prescription, Bai Bingxue instructed her two young maternal aunts that the prepared aconite had to be decocted first for fifteen minutes. The two women agreed. The three women then went to the side room to talk about women's matters. After chatting for a while, they all left with flushed faces.
When Bai Bingxue returned, King Ziqi was no longer in his bedroom either. He had set up an altar in a room not far from his sleeping palace and was wiping the pure-gold statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva that Su Xue had given him with a handkerchief. His affection for it was plain to see.
Bai Bingxue watched her grandfather's back and pondered for a while before running over and saying, "Grandfather, take a rest. I have something to tell you."
"Oh, Bingxue, what is it? Grandfather isn't tired."
"Grandfather, why not leave this statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva here in the palace to keep you company instead of enshrining it at Alu Temple?"
"Silly child, your mother's statue of solid gold is enshrined at Alu Temple, where it receives the worship and offerings of all the people. Isn't that good?"
"Grandfather, I want to melt down this statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva and use the gold to open a medicine shop in Milu City."
King Ziqi was deeply shocked when he heard this. He walked up to Bai Bingxue, took her hand, and said, "Child, opening a medicine shop to treat illnesses and save lives is a good deed that benefits both the country and its people. How much money do you need? I'll have Fourth Brother prepare everything for you."
Bai Bingxue shed tears of excitement. "The golden statue of Grandfather's revered form was already melted down by Uncle Alu. I saw him use the gold to buy horses. This Bodhisattva statue might as well—"
King Ziqi interrupted her. "I'm still alive, so why would I need a golden statue of myself? Gold is useless if left sitting around. It is better used to help the country. As for this Bodhisattva statue, seeing it reminds me of your mother. It absolutely cannot be melted down..."
At that moment, Hong Yun and Uncle Abu arrived as well. King Ziqi then had Abu give Bai Bingxue one thousand taels of silver so she could open a medicine shop in the city.
Uncle Abu thought to himself, "Bingxue began studying medicine at ten. In the eight years she followed her master, she saved many people. Her innate compassion makes her believe that medical knowledge and medicine can save lives. This is a good thing." He hurriedly agreed and went to fetch the silver.
At Penglai Immortal Island, in the White Jade Palace, the White Deer Immortal let out a sigh. "This reincarnation of Bai Yu actually changed her temperament. Becoming a physician is pretty good!"
Ancestor Lu mocked her. "Passing through a tribulation, passing through a tribulation—how could it be so easy? Keep watching what happens next..."
Before you continue